Bolt action firearms are unique weapons consisting of a bolt coupled to an operating handle that is cycled within the firearm's receiver when a user manually advances/retracts and rotates the bolt. When the user manually advances the bolt, the bolt pushes a round (consisting of a projectile and casing) towards the bolt action firearm's chamber and then, after the projectile is discharged, the user manually retracts the bolt rearward towards an ejection port to extrude the spent casing. Generally, the bolt moves longitudinally within the receiver to load rounds and unload casings. In some instances, the bolt action firearm has a bolt stop to prevent the bolt from unintentionally being completely removed from the bolt action firearm receiver by the user. Typically, bolt stops protrude from the side of a bolt action firearm receiver and are attached with a pin perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the bore and the receiver. Additionally, conventional bolt stops can easily snag on objects and be difficult to operate when inserting or removing the bolt from the receiver.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improving the profile of bolt stops as well as improving the methods of operation for inserting and removing the bolt from the bolt action firearm's receiver.